Switch



May 24, 1932 H. E. NoRvlEL 1,859,981

SWITCH Filed oct. 8, 195o I: mvENToR f/X ATTORNEYS 7% Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY E. NORVIEL, GF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY CORPORA- TION, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE SWITCH Ap'pucauon mea october s, 1930. serial No. 487,200.

ferred embodiment of one form of the present l invention is clearly shown.'

In the drawings: l

as applied to the signall circuit of an automotive vehicle.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the switch.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the switch being shown in circuit closed position.

F-ig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, the switch being shown in circuit open position.

Referring to the drawings, indicates a bracket provided with an apertured ear 11 30 which may be bent on an angle` by which the switch structure may be attached to a block or other support, in any suitable manner upon a floorboard 12 of a vehicle.

A switch housing 13, substantially cylinat 14 and 15 to receive legs 16 and 17 of a U-shaped clamping member 18, that aids in securing the housing 13 to the bracket 10. A bridge of the U-shaped member 18 is somewhat enlarged at 19, to provide a disc portion to close one end of a chamber 2O provided in the housing 13, so that when parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 3, the U- shaped member 18 will form a closure for one end of the chamber 20 with the legs 16 and 17 lying within the grooves 14 and 15 respectively and extending through apertures 21 provided in the bracket 10 where they are clinched against the outer surface 50 of the .bracket 10 as at 22 to secure the parts Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the switch,-

drical in formation is grooved externallyas in assembled relation. The bracket 10 forms a closure for the other end of the chamber 20.

The housing 13 is also provided with a plurality of internal grooves25 and 26, and has moldably secured therein, inserts 27 and 28 which have angular extensions 29 and 30 the edges ofwhich partly project from the bottom surface of the grooves 25 and 26 respectively. The extensions 29 and 30 provide fixed contacts inthe grooves 25 and' 26, and they have laterally extending portions 31 and 32 without the housing 13, each apertured to provide terminals adapted to be conected lnto a signal circuit as illustrated in ig. 1. l

The bridge portion of the U-shaped member 18 and the bracket 10 are apertured in alignment with the chamber 20, so as to act as a guide 'for a contact carrier assemblyv shaft 33. The shaft 33 supports a contacta-(0 member 34 provided with resilient tongues 35 and 36 adapted for engagement and disengagement with the contacts 29 and 30.

The contact carrier assembly comprises a shaft 33, the shaft being provided with an enlarged portion 40 and reduced portions 41 and 42. The reduced portion 41 has mounted thereon a non-conducting sleeve 43, the U-shaped contact member 34, and a nonconducting washer or bushing 44. The elements 43, 34, and 44 are secured on the portion 41 of the shaft 33 against the enlarged portion 40 by staking the portion 41 against the washn er or bushing 44, as at 45.

. The contact member 34 is provided with the resilient tongues 35 and 36 under tension suiicient to retain them within the grooves 25 and 26. This insures good electrical contact due to the wiping action between the contacts 29 and 30 and the tongues 35 and 36 when the Contact carrier assembly is actuated.

' The resilient tongues 35 and 36 fitting-into the grooves 25 and 26 are of novel structure in that they prevent rotation of the contact carrier within the chamber 20,-and that the grooves act as guides for the tongues when the contact carrier is moved into closed or open circuit positions. During the movement of the contact carrier assembly, the tongues bing action, which keeps the engaged sur-l under a. greater tension. This engagement of the tongues and extensions causes a rubface of each member clean. Ihe clean surfaces provide a good electrical connection for the tongues and the extensions. Confined between the bracket 10 andthe washer 44 is a'spring 50 that tends to move the contact' assembly' in one direction, namely that in which it closes the circuit.

The switch is adapted fo'r mounting upon the vehicle as illustrated in Fig. 1, or in any` convenient manner so that the enlarged por-A tion 40 of the shaft 33 will be in the path'of., one of the control levers, such as a brake lever 51. One of the terminals, as 31 may be connected by a lead 52 with a signal lamp 53 and grounded at 54, the other terminal 32 may beconnected by a lead 5 5 with a battery 56 that is also grounded as at 5f?, thus completing an electrical circuit.

Under normal conditions the lever 51 will engage the portion 40 to compress the spring 50 and moveI the contact assembly. in a circuit open position as illustrated in Fig. 5. Under these conditions there will be no signal given out by the lamp 53. lWhen the lever 51 is moved in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, the contact assembly is moved by the spring 50 to the position shown .in Fig. 3, whereby a signal circuit is completed through the battery 56 and the lamp 53 with their associated connections to give the desired warning. The switch is so mounted that a slight movement of the lever 51 will close the circuit through the switch, and any further movement of the lever has no e'ect upon the switch, thereby eliminating the necessity of any adjustment between` the lever and the switch.

While the form' of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An electric switch comprising in combination, a housing, said housing being provided with a plurality of internal grooves; terminals insulatingly supported by the housing and extending in the grooves; an actuator slidably supported by the housing; a contact member provided with resilient tongues, the contact member being insulatvingly carried by the actuator' within the bination; a housin said housing provided with a plurality o internal grooves; a plurality of terminals insulatingly supported by the housin and 1protruding 1n the ooves; an actuator s idab supported by t e housing, a contact mem r provided with a plurality of resilient tongues insulatingly car- 4ried by the actuatorwithin the housing, thev tongues slidably engaging the grooves to prevent rotation of the contact member within the housing; and a spring'for movin the contact member into engagement wit the` terminals.

3: An electric switch comprising in combination; a housing, said housing being provlded with a lurality of internal grooves; a plurality ci) ported by the housing and protruding in the grooves; a contact actuator assembly slidably supported by the housing, a `contact 4-member provided, with a plurality of resilient tongues insulatingly carried by the actuator within the housing, the tongues slidably engaging the grooves, the grooves forming guidesffor the tongues and preventing rotation of the contact me'mber within the housing; and means for moving the contact member in circuit closing position.

4. An electric swtitch comprising in combination; a casing of nonconducting material substantially cylindrical in structure and provided with a longitudinal bore therethrough; said casing having spaced grooves substantially parallel to the axis of said bore; a pair of terminals mounted lin the terminals insulatingly sup v casing, said terminals forming contact points l within the grooves; a contact actuator assem bly within the casing, the actuator having means for engaging the grooves to prevent the actuator from rotating within the casing, and a spring for normally engaging the actuator means lwith the terminals.

5. An electric switch comprising in combination; a casing of nonconducting mate? rial `substantially cylindrical in formation and providing a bore therethrough, said bore being tapered within the housing; a pair of internal grooves; a pair of terminals supported by the casing, said terminals being substantially diametrically opposite and disposed within the grooves; contact actuator means within the housing guided for movement by the grooves to prevent rotation of the actuator within the housing; and means forv urging the contact actuator into circuit closing relation with respect to-the terminals.

6. An electric'switch comprising in combination, a housing of nonconducting material. said housing being provided with arbore and a pair yof internal grooves substantially diametrically oppositeeach other; terminals supportedV by the housing and extending in the grooves: a pair of perforated walls supporting the housing and providing closures for each end thereof; a movable contact assembly within the housing carried by a shaft slidable in the perforations in each of the closure members; means on the contact as-l sembly engaging the grooves to guide andto prevent the contact assembly from rotation within the housing; means for moving the contact assembly into circuit closing position; and means urging the assembly into circuit open position.

7. An electric switch comprising in combination, a housing of nonconducting material substantially cylindrical in formation and provided with a bore therethrough, said bore being tapered at each end to a point within the housing; a pair of longitudinal grooves on the housing; a pair of inserts in the housing forming switch contacts within the grooves of the housing and terminals without; means supporting the housing and providing' closures for each end of the bore; a cont-act assembly within the housing carried by a rod and slidable in openings in each closure member, means on the contact assembly engaging the grooves to prevent rotation of the contact assembly within the housing; and means for normally urging the contact assembly in circuit closing position.

8. An electric switch comprising in combination, a housing of nonconducting material, said housing provided with a bore and a plurality of internal grooves substantially diametrically opposite each other; terminals supported by the housing and projecting into the grooves; a plurality of perforated walls supporting the housing and providing closures for each end thereof; and a movable contact assembly slidably supported by the perforated walls, said contact assembly comprising a shaft and a plurality of nonconducting sleeves supporting a resilient contact member for engagement with the terminals.

9. An electric switch comprising in combination; a housing, said housing being provided With a longitudinal bore therethrough, and having spaced external and internal grooves substantially parallel to the axis of said bore; a plurality of terminals supported by the housing, said terminals being substantially dialnetrically opposite and disposed at points intermediate the external grooves and forming Contact points within the internal grooves; means for closing each end of the bore of said housing, one of said closures comprising a -Ushaped member, the legs of which are disposed in the external grooves and secure the housing to the other of said closures; a Contact actuator assembly within the housing, the actuator having mea-ns for engaging the internal grooves to prevent the actuator from rotating Within the housing; and means which normally urge the actuator into circuit closed position.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

HARRY E. NORVIEL. 

